The present invention relates to a pressure sensor intended to be mounted in a tire and more particularly to the support for such a sensor.
It is known practice for a tire, of a private car or of a heavy goods vehicle, to be equipped with a pressure sensor so as to determine the pressure inside this tire without having to connect a pressure sensor to the corresponding valve. Such sensors are used in tire-pressure monitoring systems with which certain vehicles are equipped. A system such as this is known to those skilled in the art.
The tire is mounted on a rim and a valve allows air to be introduced under pressure to inflate the tire or alternatively also to allow air to escape from the tire. When such a tire is equipped with a pressure sensor, this sensor is generally fixed to the rim at the level of the valve.
Such a sensor is subject to numerous stresses, not only centrifugal force as the wheel turns but also many vibrations and accelerations. The sensor therefore has a natural tendency to vibrate, or even to oscillate along the periphery of the rim even though it is generally desirable for the sensor to be held against the rim of the wheel in order to limit the stress experienced.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,855 for example discloses a pressure sensor mounted on a valve in the automotive field. A mechanical articulation of the bore-joint type is produced between the housing of the sensor described in that document and the corresponding valve. This articulation allows the sensor to be adapted to suit various rim profiles. This fixing of the sensor entails a valve which is specially designed for the attachment of the sensor.